How to Use DARE

Scroll through the site tour below for an overview of what’s possible with the digital DARE.

Homepage

The interactive map on the DARE homepage enables browsing by region, including states and major areas within each region.
The DARE word wheel replicates the serendipity of browsing a print dictionary and denotes entries that include maps or audio recordings, or that were given in response to a DARE survey question. Italicized terms are variants; highlights designate free sample entries.

Search

The dictionary Quick Search function searches dictionary headwords and variants, while the survey Quick Search covers survey questions and responses.
Use Advanced Search to restrict searches to headwords, variants, definitions, etymologies, or quotations, or to target by part of speech, social label, or region. Filters allow for further refinement of results.

Survey

Survey Questions

Dedicated question pages allow easy browsing of all responses elicited by each question. Dynamically generated maps illustrate the frequency and regional distribution of the responses.
Downloadable demographic data allows for investigation of the background of nearly 3,000 informants to find words used by people of different regions, community types, ages, races, genders, and education levels.